Footage from a pileup on Louisiana freeway is pictured here.Photo:WVUE FOX 8 New Orleans/ Youtube
WVUE FOX 8 New Orleans/ Youtube
Seven people died and over 25 people were injured in a pileup involving over 100 vehicles on a Louisiana highway Monday morning amid a “super fog.”
The Louisiana State Police (LSP) said in a statement to PEOPLE that the accident took place on Interstate-55 in St. John the Baptist Parish, which is located 30 miles up the Mississippi River from New Orleans.
The department’s “preliminary investigation revealed that at least 158 vehicles were involved” in the pileup from lanes traveling north and southbound, police said.
LSP confirmed that seven people total have died, noting, “It is possible that additional fatalities could be located.” The deceased have not yet been publicly identified.
“Over 25 individuals were transported to area hospitals with varying degrees of injuries from critical to minor. Many victims sought medical assistance on their own," the statement continued.
In astatement on Facebook, LSP also noted there is “heavy fog” in the area of the crash. Marsh fires in the region and dense fog combined to cause “super fog,” reportedABC News. This led to visibility dropping to near zero and making driving dangerous.
Super fog forms when a mix of smoke and moisture from damp, smoldering brush, leaves, trees and other organic material mixes with cooler air, according to theNational Weather Service.
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The multi-vehicle crash happened near milepost 22 in the area between Ruddock and Manchac, the LSPwrote on Facebook.
The department said the freeway is closed “for the foreseeable future” as “troopers and emergency crews continue to work in the area of these crashes” because “both northbound and southbound lanes have extensive debris.”
“Troopers are working diligently to notify families, investigate the exact causes of the crashes and coordinate with Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) to have bridge inspections completed,” the statement read.
Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards also encouraged residents to take “extreme caution” while driving in dense fog and wildfire conditions in a statement onX.
“I also want to thank the first responders and medical personnel who have worked so diligently to save lives and render aid,” Bel Edwards continued.
source: people.com
